Index-book



.(No Model.) '2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. BAUSMAN L INDEX BOOK.

No. 539,407. Patented May 21, 1 95.

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NITED ST -TES- PATENT Cri ics;

ADAM o. BAUSMAN, on MlNNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

INDEX-BOOK.

fiPEOIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 539,407, dated May 21, 1895. Application filed December 20, 1892. Serial No. 455,748. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ADAM O. BAUSMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Index-Books,of which the following is aspecification.

My invention has for its object the producing of an index for use in connection with ledgers, or other books, whereby names, places, &c., can be more readily and conveniently found than by means of such indexes as are generally used. With this end in view I have devised such division and arrangement of marginal initial and secondary letters, together with appropriate rulings and headings of leaves, as to greatly simplify the labor of searching for names. The plan I adopt for the marginal indexing is to divide the alphabet, preferably between the letters M and N, and arrange the two portions in parallel vertical columns, the first portion occupying the inner column and being attached about the middle of the book, and the other at the end. These are the catch-letter initials for surnames or other names to be referred to, and are provided preferably on a single tab for each column, but may be on successive tabs projecting beyond the leaves. The letters following next after the surname initial are arranged on other tabs at the left of the line of initial letters, one or more to a page as may be required; and each set of these may be on tabs of different, or alternating colors, in order that the groups for the various initials may be the more readily distinguished. The pages of the book are ruled vertically and transversely and have at the left the initial and next letter with suitable space-division; and at the tops of columns are appropriate headings.

My improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a face view of the right-hand marginal portion of the book, showing the index; and Fig. 2, a face view of the book opened at the index-heading E and showing only a portion of the index.

The book has the ordinary covers and leaves 1 and 2 and the last leaf has a stiff marginal strip projecting at the right slightly beyond the edge of the cover for convenience in opening the index. The initial letters are arranged in two (or more) columns 3 and 4, the point of division of the alphabetbeing determined by convenience or the probable extent of use of certain initials. Theseletters are as shown on two tabs 5 and 6 pasted or otherwise secured to the margins of leaves and project beyond the edges of the leaves to which they are attached and beyond precedingleaves. At the left of eaclrof these catchletter tabs are groups of letters on tabs 7 attached in columns 8 and 9, and each group may comprise the entire alphabet or only such letters as are likely to come next to the initial in the names or places indexed. The subdivision of these groups for the several tabs of a group, as illustrated, is made according to the probabilities of their occurrence in names or places; but it may be any arrangement desired.

It is desirable, in order to readily distinguish the group appropriate to each catch-letter, that the tabs for each subdivision of such group be of like color, but that the colors of the groups for successive initials be varied. Thus, for illustration, all the tabs 7 for the initial A may be blue and those for B white.

The pages themselves are ruled transversely in the ordinary way, and vertically in columns of varying width for the divisions of surnames, Christian names, ledger pages, &c. I The first column at the left, designated by 10, is for the surname; the next, 11, the given name or names; the next, 12, for the ledger page or other reference, and the next 13, for memoranda, such as town, state, 850. At the head of column 10 is provided the surname initial followed by the next letter, and at suitable intervals below, the same initial with other second letters in proper order.

To illustrate the manner of using the index the book is shown in Fig. 2 as being opened at pages occupied by the initial and second letters Ea to Eg. Thebook is opened at this place by grasping the index margin in the hand with the fingers under thestiff final leaf and the thumb pressing the tab 5 for the letter E and on the tabs 7 for, the second letters a to g. Thus as the book is opened there is presented to view on the two pages all names beginning with E and the sec- 0nd letters a to g. If it had been desired to open the index for a word beginning with Es, then by placing the thumb on the tab 5 at E and on the third tab 7 (that containing the letters s to z) of the group appropriate to E, the book would open at one operation at the desired page; and so in using the index for any other catch-letter and its second letter tabs the thumb and fingers need be used in but one operation to find thepage Wanted. This is a feature of importance in the invention, for by allother systems of indexing when initial and following letters.

are used, so far as I am aware, two or more manipulations of the index or leaves arerequired before the exact pageis found. Where long lists of names or places are used the ready means of findingwhat is wanted, by my improved index, works a saving of time and is of importance.

While the description heretofore given relates only to a right-hand index the changes necessary to organize a left-hand index will be obvious, and I desire protection forthe latter arrangement as well as the former.

Ido not wish to confine myself. to the exact arrangement and subdivision of catch-letters, second letters, page columns, &c., for these features and others may be considerably varied within the scope of the invention. What I claim is- 1. In an index, initial letters on margins extending beyond sets of leaves, and secondary letters on shorter margins of the leaves of the sets and arranged in appropriate groups at the sides of their respective initial letters, substantially as set forth.

2. In an index book, marginal tabs'each containing a plurality of initial letters, the tabs extending beyond sets of leaves; and secondary letters on margins of the leaves of such sets and arranged in suitable groups at the sides of the initial letters to which they relate, substantially as set forth.

3. In an index, initial letters on margins extending beyond-sets of leaves, and secondary letters on tabs attached to shorter margins of the leaves of the sets, arranged in ap propriate groups at the sides of their respective initial letters and varying in color, substantially as set forth.

ADAM G. BAUSMAN.

\Vitnesses:

R. BLUME, P. H. GUNCKEL. 

